On Feb. 19, the Plan Commission will consider the proposed Boulevard Arcade apartment building. On the surface, the proposal (1) seems a credible way to increase housing density by building 24 luxury apartments on a parking lot.
But things are not always what they seem.
We believe this building does not work because of the site space restrictions; the neighborhood’s existing transit, parking, and pedestrian safety issues; and Oak Park’s critical need for affordable housing.
The new building would replace the addition to the historic Boulevard Arcade building and its parking lot. The proposal shows that a pedestrian entrance from South Boulevard would be accessed by enclosing an adjacent 4-foot 4-inch-wide by 85-foot-long gangway, raising questions about this entry/exit plan for strollers, wheelchairs, 2-way pedestrian access, stretchers, and other emergency situations.
Concerningly, the building’s parking garage will utilize two sensor-activated car elevators because the garage space is too narrow for cars to turn. Cars waiting for elevators will further impede alley traffic, which is already often blocked or backed up. There are no other car elevators in Oak Park, and the few that we have found in Chicago are run by valets, not sensors.
While the alley, which is south of South Boulevard, between Marion and Home, is 20 feet wide. It is already congested with cars and delivery trucks – from apartments, homes, condos; delivery vehicles, vans, maintenance, garbage; parking for Thrive and the Housing Center; and cars that sit outside or are coming out of Crash Champions. (2) Imagine the impact of two years of construction and long-term increased car and vehicle use.
In addition, South Marion’s commercial and residential corridor is already overburdened by cars, trucks, and vans (3). Even before construction, there are safety concerns for alley-crossers on Marion who are unaware of the challenges posed by the frequent cars and other vehicles entering and exiting, including young families, pedestrians preoccupied with phones and headsets, bikers, skateboarders, and seniors from Mills Tower and others using assisted-walking devices.
One other glaring problem is the proposed construction plan. At a Dec. 3 meeting, the project spokesperson told neighbors that the construction will be staged for 18 to 24 months on sidewalks and closed parking areas on both sides of South Boulevard between Home and Marion and will be carried by crane either next to or over South Boulevard and its buildings to the back of the alley where the construction will take place.
Finally, and equally significantly, this building will not add to urgently needed affordable housing stock in Oak Park. While the proposal promises to negotiate a contribution to the village’s affordable housing fund, that does not negate that this building itself would only contribute to the surplus of housing that is too expensive for many Oak Parkers (2 bed/2 bath for $3695 to $4195 monthly, plus $200 per month for parking). (1)
Combine that with its other problems, and this project just makes no sense. We hope that the Plan Commission and the village board will reach the same conclusion.
Carla Lind, Patricia Tucker-Ladd & Caren Van Slyke
Oak Park
(1) https://www.oak-park.us/files/assets/oakpark/v/1/boards-and-commissions/plan-commission/applications-for-public-hearing/1035-combined-pdf-all-application-docs-1_27_26-traffic-study-added-reduced.pdf
(2) https://bit.ly/AlleyPhotos
(3) https://bit.ly/MarionCongestio